A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, ruled that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest in the 2027 general election.
Justice Peter Lifu, made the declaration while delivering judgment in a suit seeking to bar Jonathan from participating in future presidential election, haven taken the oath of office twice as president.
A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, last week, offered a waiver to Jonathan as the only presidential candidate of the party.
But one Johnmary Jideobi had instituted a suit seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The plaintiff had earlier asked the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
He asked the court to determine whether, having regard to Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remains eligible to seek the office of president again.
But in his ruling on Tuesday, Justice Peter Lifu held that Jonathan could participate in the election as a contestant.
According to Lifu, the suit was a waste of the court’s precious time because both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal have already resolved the eligibility of Jonathan.
“I am bound by the above decision of the Court of Appeal and this court, I have no more to add”, Lifu said.
He also awarded a N20 million fine against Jideobi and in favour of the ex-president.
He equally awarded a one million fine against the plaintiff and in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
Justice Lifu held that Jideobi lacked the legal right to have instituted the suit having not suffered any loss from his perceived Jonathan’s intention to vie for the next year poll.
The judge, who said that a Federal High Court in Yenagoa and an Appeal Court had already held that Jonathan was eligible to run, said he was bound by the decision of the appellate court.
The judge then described the lawyer’s suit as “an abuse of court process.”
Justice Lifu also dismissed the Jideobi’s motion seeking the judge’s withdrawal from the case for being frivolous.
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